Computer-aided drawing tools are often used by design professionals to design a variety of systems, such as electrical diagrams, floor plans, business processes, program architectures, state machines, and other types of systems. Commenting in a drawing tool involves different considerations from those presented in other software in which commenting systems are provided, such as presentation software or word processing software. This is because, while in word processing or presentation software data is managed in a sequentially-organized document, in a drawing tool various features can be arranged in different orders within a particular page or set of pages.
Additionally, traditionally a smaller set of individuals has access to drawing tool software as compared to presentation or word processing software. While those individuals may not wish to purchase a full copy of drawing tool software, they may wish to be able to make comments on drawings that have been created by those who do have the drawing tool software. Currently, no mechanism exists for allowing such commenting to occur.